Of Fire and Ice
by IndigoUmbrella
Summary: Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire.
1. Chapter 1

The cloud was almost invisible in the darkening sky. It started as a distant storm and quickly began to churn in unseen currents until it nearly resembled a tornado, stretching down to the ground below in a swirl of lightning and darkness. A loud crack of thunder broke the silence and a light, brighter than that of the absent sun, burst through the cloud. Just as quickly as it appeared it was gone, and nothing remained but the slowly twirling mists as they returned to their previous state. The hills rolled up and down through the landscape, and the sound of thunder rumbled through the trees until it faded into silence.

A woman stood just on the edge of a thicket near a drop off that looked out over the valley. She was hidden amongst the trees, but watched the cloud from above. She didn't flinch when the lightning struck. She watched without emotion, and when the clouds returned to the sky, she wrapped her long fingers around a tall wooden staff and began moving back into the trees.

A man sat in the center of the blast for a long time without moving. His hands were still bound behind his back, his mouth was still secured behind a metal muzzle made for the worst kind of criminals; the kind with silver tongues. His body felt weaker than it ever had before. He could feel the chill of the air against his skin. He could feel hunger rumble in his gut. But he waited. He knew someone would be there waiting for him and he had no intention of fighting them at all.

Loki admittedly expected SHIELD. He wondered what they would have in store for him; another glass prison, perhaps even death. Worst of all he found that he did not care what they chose for him. Everything had been taken from him; his magic; his immortality, the throne that was rightfully his. They had taken what belonged to him and banished him to Midgard to live out the remainder of his life as a weakling human. He had no idea just yet how he would retaliate. He knew he still wanted his vengeance, but at that moment he felt truly and completely helpless.

A twig snapped somewhere off in the woods behind his back. He turned his head, listening, and knowing for sure that someone was out there now. He waited for them to speak or turn their weapons on him, but they never did. He wanted to call out and taunt them with that silver tongue of his, but his mouth remained fused shut by the metal that bound him. He stayed on the frozen dirt in the circle of smoldering symbols, waiting in silence.

He heard another crack of twigs alongside him and turned his head in that direction. A woman walked along the outskirts of the circle that had been left in the earth. She wore a hood over her head so that hardly any of her face was recognizable in the lingering twilight. But he knew it was a woman by the way she walked so gracefully and carefully. Almost like a feline, circling her prey. His worn green eyes followed her on her slow journey around the circle until she stood just before him.

"It's been a long time since an Asgardian has come to Midgard," she spoke. He had not known where they had planned to send him, but her accent was unfamiliar to him. His eyebrows rose in surprise. "Well," she continued as she slowed and turned to face him. "Aside from your brother and your trip to New York."

She stepped into the circle and leaned down on her knees before him. She pulled the hood back and revealed her face to him. Her hair was a vibrant red. Like the color of fire and blood. The irises of her eyes were dark and black so that he could not see her pupils at all. She reached behind his head, trailing her long fingers into his thick and tangled black hair. Then she released the muzzle from his mouth and slowly removed it, running her fingers over his face as if she were searching for something.

Her skin was warm against his. So much, in fact, that he almost recoiled from her touch. He searched her eyes as she examined him, trying to find a place in his memories for her face. Finally her night black eyes met his, and she held the palm of her burning hand against his frozen cheek.

"You don't remember me, do you?" she asked.

"No," he admitted, finding his voice again. She stood and walked around him to his back where she released the chains binding his wrists together.

The moment he was free he sprang into action. He spun around and grasped her firmly by the throat, lifting her to her feet as he stood. He held her body out and away from him so that she couldn't reach his face if she got the idea to scratch him. But she kept her hands wrapped around his arm and her dark eyes widened, though they were not filled with the fear he had hoped for.

"Where are they?" he growled through his clenched teeth.

"Who?" she asked as she tried to breathe.

"Your Avengers."

"I'm alone."

"You're lying."

"I swear it. It's just me." He squeezed his hand tighter and cut off her breathing so that she could speak no longer.

"Don't lie to me!" he shouted. "I know my identity was kept hidden from the public. You would not know of me unless you had been told. Someone you work for. Your precious Avengers? Your SHIELD? Tell me where they are!"

He shook her body and her hands twisted around the sleeve of his tattered tunic. He watched with a sudden realization. She had stopped struggling. She ran her fingers under the fabric of his sleeve. The skin beneath her cheeks began to glow like fire, and before he could pull away her skin began to burn hotter. He felt his own skin sizzle and bubble beneath her hands. His fingers around her throat began to burn, and he yanked himself away from her. She stood tall and straight as he clutched at his charred skin.

"Mutant," he spat. "I should have trusted Fury to send someone like you."

She thrust both of her hands out as if to strike him. She was too far from him to reach, but he felt her blow on his chest with a force more powerful than most humans should be allowed. He was sent sprawling backwards onto the cold ground where he landed with a thud on his back. She stepped over him as he boots crunched against the blackened grass. She sat over him and pressed both of her knees against his upper arms to hold him between her legs. He smiled up at her now angry face.

"The last man who put his hands on me died a very painful death," she warned him in a singsong voice. A laugh, cruel and not amused, escaped his lips. She leaned over him and her eyebrows creased in wonder. "What have they done to you?" she asked. "What did they do to reduce a prince of Asgard to a cackling madman?"

She did not wait for him to answer. The moment the words left her lips, she ran her fingers down his face. In an instant, he was asleep.

* * *

Okay, I'm going to apologize before I even get started.

First of all, I'm sorry for the title. I didn't know what else to call this. I know it's not very clever and probably over used. But it's at least better than my usual "just name everything after songs."

Second, Loki has been banished. As you might have guessed. I didn't want to write out his banishment scene for numerous different reasons. But he was banished much like Thor was in his movie. Also, SHIELD has been made aware of Loki's return to Earth.

Third, I'm sorry that Loki is such an asshole, but that's not going to change. If you came here for a reformed Loki fluffy romance, you're not going to get it. Loki is a villain, he will always be a villain.

Forth I can't promise frequent updates. This story isn't finished and I usually complete them before posting them. Also, I don't exactly know where I'm going with it just yet. I have the general idea but I'm afraid it might be too much for my capabilities. I'm definitely going to give it a shot though.

Fifth, this is the first fan fiction I've ever written that was not a band fiction. So, bear with me. My knowledge of the Marvel Universe comes from X-Men. X-Men was MY Marvel. And my Marvel included Wolverine in The Avengers. So, mutants were mentioned and may have a place later. (Also the events of Ironman 3). But don't expect to meet Logan. He probably won't be here.

And sixth I hope you like it? I've never written out of my comfort zone before so I'm kind of nervous about this.

:)


	2. Chapter 2

Loki awoke to the sound of a fire crackling not far from him. He could smell the scent of burning evergreens in his nose. The fire burned clean and smelled of warmth and the majestic halls of Asgard. He groaned and his eyes opened. The room was dark but the light of the fire danced across the walls. He could feel that his arms were free and the floor beneath him was hard and uncomfortable on his weakened body.

He thought the woman was unwise to leave him unbound, but he then remembered what she had done to him in the woods. She was more powerful than he was at that moment. He hated being less than what he truly was, and he wanted to make the woman suffer for reminding him of his current predicament. He rolled onto his side and faced where she sat crouched beside the small iron stove. The grate was open so that the light and heat of the fire was blazing in his sleep weakened eyes. Her hair shone like blood in its light. She sat composed as she watched him with those eyes as black as ink.

"Foolish of you to leave me unbound," he remarked softly.

"We both know you couldn't get very far," she replied just as smoothly.

He sat up and rubbed the tender ache from his wrists as he examined her. The burns she had left on his skin were gone now. He wondered if they had ever been there at all. Perhaps it was only an illusion. But since he knew for certain that he bore the blood of a frost giant, he had avoided heat as much as possible. This woman seemed to be made of the very stuff the earth was. It was as if there was hot burning fire under her skin like the magma beneath the crust.

"Where is Fury?" he asked. She shrugged casually, but her eyes remained glued to him and ever more unfriendly with every word that he spoke.

"In his sky palace? I don't know. It's not my job to keep tabs on SHIELD."

"Stark and the others?"

"It's not my job to keep tabs on SHIELD or their pets," she repeated.

"So you operate alone?"

"Something like that."

"And just how much red is in your ledger?"

"Not as much as yours." He studied her then. She seemed such a fierce woman, but she seemed to rely on powers her body had been gifted. He was not sure if she could fight without them. And he decided that might be her weakness. But how to rid her of those powers, he did not know for certain.

"You have… many talents," he said.

"Indeed," she replied with a nod.

"And yet Fury has found no use for you?"

"I imagine Fury would have many uses for me. If only he could catch me."

"How did you know I would be there?"

"I know a lot of things."

"So it would seem."

Since there was no place for him to sit other than the wood floor, he lifted one knee and wrapped both of his hands around it. Even though she was undoubtedly the more powerful of the two at present, he still bore the pride of a prince of Asgard. His hair was messy, his clothes were tattered, his feet were bare and cold, and yet his chin was raised and he regarded her as nothing more than something to bide his time with.

"If you do not work for SHIELD, how do you know who I am?" he asked her.

"Your face has been all over the news since your attack on New York. You're not difficult to miss." He smiled wryly.

"Your government has kept the information about my involvement with the Battle of New York a secret. And you know more than the general population in any case. You knew I was from Asgard. You knew I would be there. You know things that only SHIELD and their pets would know. Or perhaps an associate of my brother." She rocked back onto her heals and slowly stuck her legs out, sitting more comfortably against the hot black stove.

"I've known of Asgard as long as I've known of the nine realms. I've been… studying your people for a long time. I know your name. I know your brother's name. I even know your mother's name." His jaw tightened as she spoke and he sneered.

"You asked me if I remembered you. Am I supposed to know who you are?" he asked. Her dark eyes flicked to him again.

"You have a very sharp mind, Loki. But the information you store in it has only existed for the sole benefit of your immediate person. And I have never been of any use to you. So I do not expect you to know or remember me."

"If I have no use for you then why have you brought me here?" She smiled and the grin reminded him so much of his own. There was no warmth in her cold black eyes. There was nothing to show any real amusement. It was the smile of a woman hungry for something he could not see.

"Because I have use of you," she spoke slowly. And she stood to her feet in one fluid movement. Then she walked across the room, creaking the floorboards as she went. She made for the door that was just out of his vision, but he turned his head to the side and spoke a warning on the edge of his breath.

"I will kill you," he uttered.

"Not if I kill you first," she replied. Then the door shut and he was alone in the small and empty room. With nothing but the fire that burned like the fury of his rage.

* * *

I wasn't planning on updating this so soon. But I got a few nice comments (on Mibba) and they made me really happy and made me want to keep working on this. I'm so excited for what's to come. I can't even tell you.

So a few things about this chapter. I've kept her name out for a reason. She will tell him what her name is in the next chapter. Also, there's a reason I haven't said what kind of accent she has. I said it was thick and I don't sound it out because it looks ridiculous to me in text. But the accent isn't really that important just yet. Just know that she has one. AAAAANNNNDDDD... I feel like I'm forgetting something. Idk. Carry on.


	3. Chapter 3

The room was small and it disturbed Loki more than he would like to admit. It was smaller than his cell in the dungeons of Asgard, though it held none of the same amenities. There was nothing inside of the small space but the black iron stove in the corner, the door, and a lone small window just under the ceiling that was covered by a moth eaten curtain.

The moment the woman shut the door he stood to his feet. He had to admit he was cold and the fire was providing warmth for the space. He walked on bare feet to the small window and ripped back the musty brown curtain. But the window was blocked. No light shone from behind it. It was a solid as a wall and impossible to open in his current state. He muttered an oath under his breath and marched to the door. He wrapped his hand around the handle and was surprised to find it unlocked.

He ripped it open so strongly it nearly fell off of its hinges. The next room was as small as a cellar and contained nothing but a rickety staircase and swinging unlit light bulb. The door at the top of the staircase was outlined in gold light. So he stepped up and yet again found the door unlocked.

The cellar door led him into a kitchen. The floor was made of pristine ceramic tiles that were warmed by the fire below. The countertops gleamed from unused cleanliness. The steel appliances appeared to have never been touched. The woman stood behind an island counter. Her gaze was upon her hands where she held a single open file. She flipped the pages as if she had not noticed him, but it would have been impossible for her to have missed him.

"Where am I?" he asked harshly as he stepped across the warmed tiles to the carpeted floor in the open living space.

Full sofas surrounded a cobblestone hearth where a fire was roaring with intensity much stronger than the one in the basement cell. Full bookshelves stacked high to the ceiling. The head of a wild beast hung proudly above the mantle. The wall beyond the room was made entirely of glass and looked out over the trees and frozen darkened land. Snow fell from the black sky, illuminated only by the light of the house. He wondered how long he had been there, since a thick layer of it already blanketed the ground.

"Tell me," he snapped when she did not answer. "Where have you brought me?" He stepped toward the windows and looked out over the view, where nothing but the silent snowfall and silhouettes of trees could be seen.

"Alaska," she said with one simple word as she turned another page from her file. He spun around with alarm and question and witnessed her roll her eyes in irritation. "You're in the United States. Well… according to the law. You can't get much farther north in this country. Let's just leave it at that."

"And what did you bring me here for?" he asked as he stepped toward her.

"To keep you safe."

"From?" She looked up and met his green eyes.

"SHIELD. My guess is that they're in a panic to find you. Let's just say you didn't land where you were supposed to. Your brother has probably already been made aware that you have not arrived at your destination. It's only a matter of time before they find out where we are. Try not to get comfortable."

"But why? Why do you have use of me?" She took her time as she reassembled the papers in her file and closed the folder. Then she slapped it down on the counter between them. Her dark eyes stared emotionless into his.

"I'm not a mutant," she said. He reached for the folder and opened it to the very first page. "It's called Extremis. It was funded by a subdivision of Stark Industries before Stark stopped building weapons. It's a super soldier serum, much like what was given to your Captain friend. Only it backfired. Those who've been injected are ticking time bombs. There's no telling when they go off, where, or why. They just do. And the results mimic a small scale nuclear weapons strike. I don't intend to be nothing more than a shadow on a wall."

Loki scanned the document as she spoke but found the words reflected most of what she said. The serum gave her certain strengths but none that could explain all of her gifts. Nothing that suggested a user could push with nothing but her mind. Nothing that said she could force victims into a comatose state with the touch of her fingers. And nothing he knew of in any realm gifted her with the ability to divert the bifrost. But he kept that to himself as he closed the file and looked up at her again. Then he smiled. He had discovered a weakness.

"You're dying," he said. She nodded.

"Yes," she admitted.

"And how do you suppose I can help you?"

"What do humans do when they know they're going to die? They turn to God. I just happen to have one standing in front of me."

"I'm afraid I can't help you. Or is it you've forgotten? I am as human as you are." She returned the cold and cruel smile.

"There is a saying in this realm that if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. You don't need to know how you can help me. But when you do I'll help you regain everything that you lost. I'll help you return to Asgard for your throne. Do we have a deal?" She stuck out her hand and Loki sneered in response. "It's either you help me or you go out there and try to survive in the Alaskan wilderness with nothing but tattered old clothes. So what do you say? Do we have a deal or not?"

"You have the capability to return me to Asgard and return my power?"

"What I have or don't have is none of your concern at this time. Help me first and I'll show you just what I can do."

Loki took a moment to think it over as he regarded this strange woman with her secrets and mysterious familiarity with him. He did not like being forced into a situation he had no control over or knowledge of. He did not like being deceived. But he knew the best way to gain the upper hand was to first gain her trust. She was going to die whether he assisted her or not. And he wanted very much to see that happen.

So he grinned and slid his cold hand into her warm one.

"We have a deal," he said. Then he gripped her hand and slammed it down onto the tile countertop. She didn't flinch, but let out a rush of air from her nose. Her nostrils flared; her eyebrows creased. He relished in the satisfaction. "But if you betray me," he spoke as he inched closer to her face and stared into her midnight eyes. "I will rip your beating heart from your chest and while it still beats in my hand I will force you to swallow it whole. You cannot cheat me because I am a god and you are an insect. And one way or another, I will always win." She gave a genuine smile at his threat. Her eyes softened. Her lips twisted.

"Who would have thought you were such a charmer, your majesty," she said.

"Oh, you have no idea," he replied as he released her hand and stood back. "And what am I to call my newest ally?"

"Bridget. And it would be in your best interest to remember it."

* * *

OKAY I've been really excited about this chapter but I haven't posted it until now because I had to move unexpectedly and my dad banned me from my computer and I've been working. But hopefully I can afford to get my own place soon because JeSUUUUS...

I should also inform you that I just had a bottle of soda, a pack of Rolos, and a bag of Skittles. And I think I'm getting sick, which sucks because I have to use my voice to work and I'm probably not going to be able to go to work on Sunday if I can't speak.


	4. Chapter 4

The water was hot against Loki's cold skin. He stood beneath the downpour for a moment before attempting to adjust the temperature with the knob the woman had shown him. Then he stood there watching the dirt swirl around the drain. He closed his eyes against the memories, hoping the water would wash them away with the grime. But when he opened them again he found the pain was still as fresh and his body was weaker than he had ever felt before.

He took a long time in the shower thinking about recent events and what the future held for him. He hated not knowing what was going to happen or how he could move forward. But he knew it was in his best interest to trust the woman, at least for the time being, because at the moment she was the difference between life and death. And once he knew which path to take he could be rid of her.

Besides, he figured he was lucky to have ended up with her rather than SHIELD to begin with.

When he finally left the shower he stepped back onto the clean, glistening floor tiles and reached for a dark red towel hanging from a silver rack. A monogrammed letter was embroidered into the fabric and he ran his fingers over the threads before wrapping the towel around his waist and turning to the foggy mirror.

He ran his hand over the glass to wipe away the precipitation and his own pale and hollow face looked back at him. She was right about what they had turned him into; a cackling madman with matted hair and skin so pale and thin that the veins beneath the surface were blue like the ice his forefathers were made from. His eyes seemed sunken into his face; the bones of his cheeks were as sharp as daggers.

Loki left the bathroom and returned to the living quarters. The woman was still in the kitchen, though she had abandoned her file on the counter and was now heating something in a large, noisy machine. Loki cleared his throat loudly and walked into the kitchen, tracking water onto the floor as he went.

"Do you have any clothing I can wear or am I expected to remain in my prison robes?" he asked. She turned around to face him. Her dark eyes stared into his but she seemed lost in her own thoughts. It took another moment for her black orbs to adjust on him.

"There should be sufficient clothing in the loft upstairs," she said. "I expect you know how to dress yourself?" He smiled wryly and his green eyes glinted dangerously.

"I've grown quite accustomed to handmaidens." She shook her head once and turned to the noisy machine, where something was rotating on a disk.

"Welcome to Midgard, where everyone is expected to care for themselves."

"And see I aimed to change that… but no one agreed with me." He turned toward the small, narrow staircase that led up to the open loft bedroom, but he heard the sound of her soft and hushed laugh behind him.

The upstairs loft held a small single bed and a dresser. A painting above the headboard showed off a woodland scene much like the wilderness that surrounded the lodge. The raw wooden railing looked out over the living room and those glass windows that still showed the snowfall glittering in the lights from the house.

Inside the dresser he found clothing fit for a man shorter and wider than he was. So the heavy waffle pattern shirt hung loosely around his torso and the black slacks were too short by several inches. He felt ridiculous even to earth standards but figured it would suffice until he could find more suitable dressings.

Once he had dried and dressed he returned to the main floor. The machine was no longer cooking and she was setting a blood red plate down on the island counter that separated the rooms.

"You must be starving," she remarked as he returned to the counter. "Long trip from the heavens, I imagine." She turned back around and ignored him as he took his seat on the uncomfortably stiff stool. He looked down at the meal she had prepared for him in disgust.

"What is this exactly?" he asked as he lifted a silver fork and wondered if it was sharp enough to pierce her skin.

"All they had in the freezer." She turned back around and offered him a friendly smile. He didn't return it. The air was heady with the foul smelling scent of the meal, and despite the gnawing hunger in his gut he did not want to eat it. So instead he turned up his nose at her. "It was from a frozen package," she explained. "I'll try to get better supplies next time I kidnap a God." Then she turned around and he allowed a smile to break on his face.

* * *

I just finished writing this chapter like 2 minutes ago. I should probably have slept on it a bit before posting but I DON'T CARE! I DO WHAT I WANT! So basically what I'm saying if there are any mistakes please tell me because I probably missed them.

Also I intended for this chapter to be much longer and I told myself I couldn't go to bed until it was done. I have been writing it off and on for like an hour. Then I finished and I was like "Yes, it is complete," and it ended up being shorter than I planned. But hopefully not lacking in imagery and naked sexiness.

I should inform you that I had no intention of making them so flirty with each other so quickly, but these characters apparently want to get it a lot sooner than I planned. And well... canonically Loki is a big giant whore, so I see no problem with this.


	5. Chapter 5

Loki watched as the woman ate her meal in silence. She called herself Bridget, but that name didn't seem to fit her. It didn't flow off of her tongue the way a name does when it belongs to you. It was stiff and stale and foreign on her lips. But he supposed that was her secret to tell and perhaps he could not blame her for wanting to keep it. No doubt she knew what he was capable of. Either way he decided that since he was going to take her life, it was the least he could do to allow her to keep her name.

"You look as though you haven't slept in weeks," she said from where she was leaning against the far counter, picking at her reheated meal with a fork and not finding it any more appealing than he did.

"I've been very busy, in case you've forgotten," he explained. "I was hardly given enough time to recover."

"You've made a lot of people very angry. I was surprised the All-Father thought it best to return you to the place you nearly destroyed. Especially since the bodies are still warm. He took away your natural defenses and sent you in to the slaughter."

"I am quite sure that was his intention from the start."

"You can take the bed upstairs for the night. We'll get you better clothes tomorrow."

"And where will you sleep?" he asked as she turned and dropped her plate into the sink. She had hardly eaten her repulsive meal but he could not blame her.

"Master bedroom," she told him as she headed through the living room for the door beneath the loft.

"And you expect me to fit on that small bed?" he asked her.

She stopped at the door with her hand on the knob and turned to face him. Her playful demeanor was gone now. She crossed her arms over her chest and her dark eyes were narrowed in warning. He stood to his feet and crossed the carpet to her. The door behind her hand swung open and he could see the darkened room beyond. The bed was large and inviting. He imagined lying wrapped in those furs with her warm body against his. It sounded much more appealing than that small single bed in the loft.

"You're not sleeping with me," she told him.

"So you… a human… will sleep in a large bed all by yourself. While I… a god… am forced to sleep in a servant's bed?"

"It's not a servant's bed. It was made for children and guests. You are my guest and you will sleep in the guest room."

"This home does not belong to you any more than it belongs to me."

"It does for now." He studied the firm set of her lips and she lifted her chin in a stubborn refusal. Her eyes narrowed at the smirk hinted by his lips. "You started the evening by wrapping your hand around my throat, and you really think I'm going to allow you to end the evening in my bed?" He grinned and she stepped forward, closing the space between them and unlocking her arms. "I burn hot, Loki, and you burn cold. One of us will cancel out the other. It all depends on which force is strongest. And right now… the odds are not in your favor."

"Is that a threat, human?"

She reached up and placed the palm of her hand against his chest. The layer of waffle pattern fabric was thick between them but he could still feel the heat of her churning beneath her hand. He fought the urge to pull away by reminding himself that Frost Giant or not, he was human in this realm and her heat was no real threat to him. At least not until she ignited. And despite the danger that presented to his weakened body, he would love to see that happen.

"I am stating a fact, Prince. You are in my kingdom now and I make the rules here. When you are king of Asgard and the Nine Realms… you can decide which bed to sleep in. And if you're lucky I'll allow you to share mine. Goodnight." She removed her hand and slipped into the room, shutting him out as the door snapped closed.

* * *

Sorry for taking so long with this update. I wanted to work more on the story before updating again. I have 12 chapters so far but now I'm stuck. So I'll probably update more once I get passed the part that I'm on.


	6. Chapter 6

The bed was too short and uncomfortable. So that Loki's feet stuck out of the bottom and no matter what he did with the blankets he always ended up with nearly half of him exposed to the air. It took him a long time to succumb to the sleep his body was desperate for. Even though he had spent so much time under Bridget's sleeping spell, he still felt exhausted. His dreams were made of darkness, and not the impenetrable darkness he had hoped for. He dreamt of torture, his brother, Odin, and worst of all of Frigga. And the pain he had seen in her eyes when he last looked upon her face during his trial.

He woke before the sun and found that he could no longer sleep if he tried. He stood from the uncomfortably small bed and walked to the other side of the loft and out over the railing. The sky beyond the glass window panes was lightening beyond the silhouette of mountains and trees. The snow had stopped falling and left behind a thick blanket of white powder on the floor of the forest below.

The fire was still roaring in the hearth below but he felt very little of its heat. Bridget sat before it, crouched as she gazed into the flames, lost to her own thoughts. She only moved when she occasionally struck the fire with the end of an iron poker to give the flames more air to breathe and fuel to burn. She held a mug gently in her free hand. The steam was thick on the cold air, but she made no move to drink it. She was already dressed for the day in the clothes she'd worn the night before when she had come for him in the woods.

"Is it customary for you to be awake at this hour?" he asked as he stepped down the narrow staircase. She turned her ear just slightly in his direction to acknowledge that she had heard him.

"It is customary for me to be awake at all hours," she told him on a soft breath.

"I would have fared better myself if I had been given a more comfortable bed." She smiled and lifted the mug to her lips.

"I think you would have found it uncomfortably warm."

"Better uncomfortably warm than uncomfortably tall."

"There are clothes for you on the sofa. They're not much but they will keep you warm until we get to town." A small pile of clothing had been folded neatly and placed on the cushions of the couch for him. She had her back turned to him; a vulnerable position. Either that or far too trusting. He figured it was ignorant of her nonetheless.

"Breakfast is in the microwave. I suggest you eat quickly because I would like to leave as soon as possible. We have to get what we need and get out before anyone starts asking questions."

"If SHIELD is looking for us, don't you think we'll be recognized?" She stood up and smiled.

"You have your tricks and I have mine. Get dressed, eat, and meet me out front. I'll take care of the rest."

Loki took the clothes into the other room to change. He decided to forgo breakfast entirely. He couldn't stomach another frozen meal and the idea of it sickened him.

She had brought him clothing that was no better tailored to his size. The jacket was large much like hers and was made for warmth before style. But he dressed and returned to meet her in the living room. She was shoveling old ashes into the flames to kill the fire.

"How are we to travel unnoticed?" he asked as she stood to her feet and returned the shovel to its former place beside the fireplace.

"We'll travel by foot. Cars are too noisy and leave easy tracks. I hope you like the cold, son of Laufey."

She turned toward the front door and he followed behind. His dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she stayed silent as she shut off the lights and opened the door. He followed her out into the cold. The air met them with a wave of ice. It stung on his skin and nose. No birds sang in the trees to greet the sun. The forest seemed to hush as they headed down the snow covered driveway and onto a lonesome road that was free of trees.

"How do you know of my true lineage?" he asked after a long while of crunching through the crust of snow.

She carried a heavy wooden walking stick and a pack on her back. Her flame red hair was pinned out of her face but the hood rested on her shoulders, so that her curls were wild and vibrant against the white landscape. She fit in well with the forest, he decided. It was as if she belonged there.

"I know a lot of things," was her response. Her stride did not slow but he could hear her breathing and see the puffs of white mist escape from her lips in short bursts.

"There are only a handful of those who know the truth of what I am. I would like to know which of them divulged that information to you."

"That is for me to know. You will find out if I feel like telling you."

"I do not like when information is kept from me. If you wish for me to help you it would be in your best interest to refrain from withholding it. I make a great ally but an even greater enemy." She stopped along the path and turned to face him. The tip of her nose had turned pink in the cold. Though she seemed so perfectly in place in the woods, she seemed so out of place in the cold.

"Give me your hands," she instructed as she leaned the walking stick against her shoulder and held both of her hands out, palms toward the sky. He hesitated; remembering the feel of his skin boiling beneath those hands.

"Why?" he questioned.

"I can't tell you everything you wish to know. Not yet. My reason is for my own safety. I know who you are and what you're capable of, Loki. You take as much knowledge as you need in order to protect yourself. And you are brilliant and sly. But I keep as much information to myself as I can in order to protect MYSELF. But if it is a secret you want, place your hands in mine and close your eyes."

He reluctantly slid his hands into hers and they were surprisingly warm. Not boiling. He welcomed the feel of her bare skin against his. But he refused to close his eyes and she smiled with genuine amusement.

"You're as stubborn as your brother," she said.

In a moment of shimmering green light the redhead was no longer standing before him. It was just a woman with mousey brown hair and no discernable features. She looked more accustomed to the cold. She was small, with a hood over her head. But her eyes were still that dark black emptiness that he was beginning to know so well.

"You're a shapeshifter," he said.

"Asgard isn't the only place blessed with magic, Prince," she said. She released his hands and returned to her walk along the path. He looked down at his own hands and found they were different from the ones he had known so well. He reached up to touch his fingers to his face.

"I changed you too," she said as she walked. "Now hurry or we'll freeze to death before we get there." He followed along after her on strange new legs.

"And just how is it that you've come about this knowledge?" he asked as he fought to keep up with her strides.

"I know a lot of things," she said, using her go-to answer for most of his questions.

"Magic isn't bound to Asgard, but it's bound to time. It takes years, thousands of years, to learn how to change one's form."

"Unless you've had a good teacher," she retorted. "Frigga is good. She's good with magic. She's a good teacher. But she's not great. There are others. Asgardians with much more extensive knowledge. Frigga had other obligations while she studied. If she had dedicated her life to the magical arts she might have learned more. But she would not be Queen and she would not be a mother. And the same goes for you. If you had spent more time learning and studying than following your brother's foolish schemes or wondering why daddy didn't love you, then you might have made a great enchanter."

He reached out and grasped her firmly by the wrist, spinning her to facing him. Her new face was taut. Her lips were set in a straight line and her eyes burned like black coals. He held her wrist up above her head. She did not fight him but her skin began to warm beneath his touch.

"So there's another," he said slowly as she stared up at him. "You're not alone. You have a teacher. An Asgardian. Someone powerful. That's how you managed to divert the bifrost. You don't need me to help you acquire a cure for your… affliction. It's Asgard you want."

"I want… to live," she said. "The throne of Asgard has very little value to me."

"And what of your teacher?"

"My teacher wants only to go home."

"Yet you put your trust in me?"

"Who better than Asgard's greatest enemy? You are powerful, Loki. You are as sharp as a blade and as cunning as a fox. You have been weakened but it is temporary. You said so yourself, though in different words. You make a great enemy, but an even greater ally."

"And what makes you think that I will offer you aid once the throne is mine?"

"I expect nothing from you once I get what I want. That is why I'm getting your help now while I'm more powerful than you. Once I get what I want I'll help you get what you want."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because you have no other choice. If SHIELD gets their hands on you they will kill you. Despite their promise to your brother. I have a way to get you back to Asgard and you need me for that."

"What if I refuse?"

"Go ahead. I'm taking you to town. I'll lift my illusion. Go turn yourself in. Or perhaps go into hiding. See how far you get without my help. I won't be here much longer. If you lose me now you lose me forever. And you lose any chance you had of returning to Asgard with your magic and your dignity."

"And when you are no longer powerful than me… what then? Will you turn your back to me as you have already done? Will you leave yourself open and vulnerable when I can kill you with the flick of my wrist?" She smiled at him.

"You won't." She slipped her hand away from his and continued on her path.

"So much trust in someone so untrustworthy," he said as he followed along. She just laughed in response.

"For the record, Prince, the next time you raise your hand to me… I will burn it off of you."


	7. Chapter 7

The walk from the lodge to town seemed to take up majority of the morning. Loki began to wish that he had eaten before leaving. Even a short meal of reheated frozen product was better than hiking through the woods on an empty human stomach. Bridget seemed to have no problem with hunger or thirst as they walked, but she complained about the cold often enough to irritate him.

The town appeared in the afternoon. It was a line of buildings behind the trees, where smoke rose from chimneys and cars drove up and down the lane. It was small enough so that Loki doubted SHIELD would be looking for him there, but it was also unwelcoming and disappointingly devoid of luxury.

"Your name is John," Bridget said as they began the trek down from their path to the road below. "You're a city boy and the locals don't care for you. The lodge belongs to your wealthy father, an oil farmer. You use it more often than they do. You're only seen in town wooing local women and the residents usually ignore you. We go in, get our supplies, and then we leave."

"And who are you?" he asked.

"One of your conquests."

"Of course." She shot him a jeer before hurrying down the trail that lead to town.

As they walked to town side by side, Loki considered abandoning her. He knew that if he did not stay close to her the illusion would fade and SHIELD would find him quickly. If he had his magic he would have left long ago. But at that moment he was cold, hungry, and powerless. So he did as she instructed and kept his mouth shut as she led him into a local general store.

They had eyes on them from the moment they stepped inside. A bell jingled above the door and Bridget ignored the looks from the man behind the counter. She took a basket and began filling it with odds and ends. Loki only watched, keeping his eyes on the strangers who either paid him no attention at all, or stared in scowls.

"If you brought me here to appeal to my humanity," he started. She shushed him.

"There's nothing appealing about humanity. Not anymore," she whispered. "And if there is at all… you won't find it here."

"And where would I find it?" She turned her eyes on him.

"Children," she said. "Like the ones you massacred in New York." Then she continued on down the aisle, collecting things in her basket without paying much attention to what they were.

"You think I don't like children," he said as he stalked along behind her.

"I wouldn't know."

"I have children. Did you know that?"

"Children or monsters?" He ripped the basket from her hands and it crashed to the floor, sending cans and goods rolling down the linoleum. Her back was jolted against his chest and he held her firmly in place. He could smell the scent of those burning evergreens in her false brown hair.

"Children," he said sternly. "My children. It would be wise of you to be cautious of your words."

"Forgive me, your majesty," she said as she reached for the basket and returned the items inside. "Sometimes I forget how protective parents can be of their offspring. IT has been so long since I was a mother." She returned to her feet and was careful with what she selected from the shelves.

"You have children?" he asked. They turned the next aisle and she removed a can of vegetables from the shelf, reading it over quietly.

"I had a son once. A long time ago," she finally told him.

"What happened to him?"

"He was murdered."

She set the can back on the shelf and continued. He decided not to question her further. Not because he wasn't curious, not because the subject would cause her paint, simply because her skin had gone pink and he could see the fire within her begin to burn. If it got any brighter she would attract more attention to them. Either that or she would turn the general store into a hole in the frozen earth.

The man at the counter watched them cautiously as they approached. No doubt he had witnessed their exchange in the aisle as his produce had been thrown to the floor.

"John," he said using the name of the man whose face Loki wore. "Been a long time since you've been out to the lodge." Bridget sent her elbow into Loki's chest and he grimaced at the old man.

"Yes… well… You know how it is," he replied. Bridget was busy emptying the basket onto the counter. The man rang them up.

"I heard you got married."

"I'm his wife," Bridget told him. "Bridget O'Dubshelaine, nice to meet you." She reached out her hand and he shook it politely but asked them no more questions. She carefully packed the contents of the basket into her pack and paid with a card that bore that unfamiliar name. And the two of them left the store with nods of goodbye.

"I was going to get you clothes," she spoke as she slung the pack onto her back. "But you went and made a fool of yourself."

"You're the one who gave me a recognizable face," he retorted.

"How was I supposed to know the man got married? He's infamous for bringing women here."

"And how would you know that?"

"You think I didn't thoroughly investigate this family before stealing their home?"

"Obviously not thorough enough."

"Just bite your tongue. We're being followed," she snapped.

"By whom?" he asked. She reached out to take his hand, playing with the plan that they were still just a visiting couple.

"Strangers. I've been watching this town long enough to know every face. There are two tails on us."

"You think it's SHIELD?"

"It's difficult to say. The entire world is probably on high alert. You don't have your face, but you're a strange man in a strange town who talks of murdered children and monsters while manhandling his supposed wife. We should have stayed silent."

"You should not have burned so hot."

"One thing you should know about me, Prince. I have a temper. And you seem to be unnatural skilled at waking it."

"I've heard I have that affect."

"We'll find you better clothes another time. Let's just lose them in the woods before they start asking questions."

"Understood, wife."

"Shut it."

* * *

Sorry for taking so long to get this up. I've been super crazy busy going to school, then we moved, then I had like 5,000 commissions (that I still haven't finished dear God help me), and then when I finally got my much needed privacy and writing mojo back, I ended up dedicating it entirely to a Winter Soldier fan fic, which you can read here ( s/10362424/1/Monster) if you want. It takes place in the same universe as this story, though at a later date and neither of these characters make cameos.

Although, Bridget will make a cameo in my Tony Stark story that I'm working on. But that one takes place before this one. Whoo, sorry for any confusion.

Anyway, since I finished with my Winter Soldier story I'm going to try and get back to this one in-between all this commission work and homework. :)


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